Anesthetizing apparatus



0. K. TETER.

Patnted D60. 7,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET .l.

[25 2/55 Kfl'far C. K. TETER.

ANESTHETIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9, 1915.

' Patented Dec. 7,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

(III

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES K. TETER, F CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE TETER MANUFAC-- TUBING COMPANY. i

ANESTHETIZING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. '7, 1920.

Application filed August 9,1915. Serial No. 44,495.

, To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES K. TETER, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Cleveland in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anesthetizing Apparatus, of which the following.

is a specification.

My invention rel-ates to improvements in anesthetizing apparatus, and has for its object the provision of a' compact'and simple appliance for administering gaseous anesthetics, particularly nitrous oxid and oxygen in conjunction with each other. As is well known, nitrous oxid, which is commonly supplied in liquid form under. high pressure, produces intense cold upon being released from such pressure, and, in consequence, heating apparatus ordinarily is associated with the containers, valves, or mixing cham-- bers for the gas, in order to obtain the same at normal temperature and prevent chilling or freezing of the valves. In my improved appliance, I preferably place the reducing valves directly within the heating appliance which I substitute for the ordinary vapor warmer, so that the nitrous oxid is raised to a working temperature, and the apparatus also is made more compact.

Again, with most types of apparatus now on the market, itis necessary that some one expert in the administration of the anes-' thetic shall attend and control the same, for the reason that experience largely is relied upon to determine the amount of anesthetic being administered from time to time. This is not true with the apparatus which I am about to describe, for the reason that a visible gage is provided therein, which will positively indicate at any given time both volume and proportion of both gases used during administration. Accordingly, the apparatus herewith shown is exceptionally well adapted for the average practitioner,

and'it finds its principal employment in seescape from each of the perforations. Thus the operator is at once able to determine from the position of the gaseous bubbles with respect to the tube, exactly how much of either of the reagents is'beingadministered at any given time.

Further explanation of my improvements may best be made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 1s a vlew, in side elevation, partially broken away and in section, showing the essential portions of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 1s a plan view thereof, also partially broken away, to show one of the reducing valves within the heating chamber; Fig. 3 is a view of the apparatus, in front elevation, also partially broken away; and Fig. 4 is a detail, principally in vertical section, showing the upperend of a perforated tube and its. controlling valve. Throughout the several figures of the drawings, I have employed the same character of reference to indicate similar parts.

Referring, first, to Fig. 3, the removable containing flasks a, b are shown, positioned within the connecting yoke c of the administering appliance. This extends from either side of the heating chamber (1, which is provided with a gauze-protected heater or lamp 0?. Reducing valves, one of which is shown at 0', Fig. 2, are provided for each of the gas supplying containers, and, being positioned withinthe liquid-filled heating chamber, said valves are maintained at normal or working temperature. Gages a b associated with said valves are adapted, respectively, to show the working pressures at which each gas is released; the said valves being controllable by the thumb screws (1 b. Two pipes e, f, respectively, lead from the reducing valves to the glass mixing chamber 9,- the said pipes respectively terproportion and volume of gaseous administration may be obtained within the limits of a given appliance.

Ordinarily, nitrous oxid is administered with oxygen in the proportion of three to one, and a normal working pressure at the reducing valve is approximately ten pounds. Accordin ly, the perforations in tubes 6 and 7"" may advantageously be made to pass volumes of gases in these proportions, say in units of 15 gallons per hour for each perforation of tube f, and five gallons per hour for each perforation of the tube 6. Thus the operator, by observing the jets from these tubes, is constantly advised what known volumes of the respective gases are escaping from the jets for administration. Usually some air is also admitted to dilute the mixture at the inhaling appliance. By eliminating the air and reducing the oxygen, a patient may be very quickly anesthetized by administering nitrous oxid at the rate of sixty to one hundred and twenty gallons per hour while an increase in the oxygen supply will quickly restore the patient.

From a mixing chamber 9, an exit pipe 9 leads into the T-connection k, which is directly in the line of the gas supply, and beneath which is positioned the elastic gas bag it. The gaseous re-agents thus supplied from the mixing chamber are in known proportions and the patient is placed under the influence thereof by means of any suitable inhaling apparatus, which it is not necessary to show or describe. In employing the anesthetizing apparatus, it is necessary, first, to adjust the thumb screws a", b, so that the gases will be released at a proper working pressure. The expansion of the nitrous oxid will not interfere with the operation of its reducing valve, since the heating chamber is assumed to be of the pro er temperature to neutralize any freezing eflect, caused by the expansion of the liquid. The operator will observe, first, one of the tubes 6', f, and then the other, and note from which of the per forations or apertures the respective gases are escaping into the mixing chamber, and,

with the knowledge that a given volume of the nitrous oxid will place his patient in a condition of analgesia, the controlling valves 0'', f, are adjusted to secure the visible escape of the respective gases from the corresponding or predetermined perforations in the tubes e, f, from which perforations said gases will constantly bubble to the top of the liquid level and unite in the open space of the mixing chamber 9. Since these tubes are positioned closely adjacent to each other within a common transparent container, a single glance of the operator from time to time, serves to inform him positively as to the relative flow and volume of both gaseous reagents.

In order to increase the supply of oxygen,

if the patient shows symptoms of being too far relaxed, the valve e may be turned to admit suflicient gas for insuring its escape from successively lower perforations in the tube 6. Conversely, if the supply of-nitrous oxid proves insufficient, the valve f will be turned to insure a corresponding increase in esca e of the as from the tube f along its per orated si e. The bubbles of escaping gas thus accurately indicate exactly what volumes of the respective gases are being administered at any given moment, and relatively little experience is required in thus controlling the condition of a patient while under the partial or complete influence of the anesthetic.

The apparatus above described is simple, compact, and is not liable to become deranged or incapacitated, which is especially of importance during periods of continued analgesia, as required for childbirth. Also, said apparatus readily lends itself to transportation from place to place, so that the practitioner may employ it, with equal facility, in the home or at a hos ital. It will be seen that the observation 0 the volumes of gases bein administered from time to time, depends upon their accurate visible escape from the submerged perforationsin the respective tubes. These tubes are vertical or substantially vertical, as recited in the claims, so that the gases may react against a definite liquid pressure within the container or mixing chamber. This result obviously would not be obtained if the tubes were approximatel in horizontal position, since the gases woul escape irregularly from the different perforations. Accordingly, the claims are drawn to distinguish from the latter construction and operation.

Having now described the preferred embodiment if my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following 1. In apparatus for administering and reducing the pressure of a gaseous reagent,

7 the combination with means for coupling the containing flask for the gas under pressure, of a reducing-valve associated therewith, a closed warming chamber containing said reducing-valve, an exterior member for controlling the reducing-valve, and means for heating said closed chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. In apparatus for administering and reducing the pressure of a gaseous reagent, the combination with a flask containing a liquefled gas, of a reducing-valve associated therewith, a closed warming chamber containing said valve in a liquid heating medium, a controlling valve stem protruding from said chamber, an indicator of the flow of gas, and means for heating said closed chamber, substantially as set forth.

3. In anesthetizing apparatus, the combination with separate controllable supplies of two gaseous reagents, of means for heating the same, a liquid-filled transparent, mixing-chamber, two longitudinally perforated tubes respectively connected with the supplies of gases and extending vertically below the liquid-level in said chamber, and means for individually governing the flow of said gases, substantially asset forth.

4:. In anesthetizing apparatus, the combination with means for supplying different gaseous reagents, of a transparent liquidcontainer, measuring tubes extending vertically below the liquid-level thereof, each connected with a gas supply; each tube being perforated verticallyat intervals along its side, and means for regulating the flow of gas through the perforations in said tubes, respectively, substantially as set forth.

5. In anesthetizing apparatus, the combination with supplies of oxygen and nitrousoxid under high pressure, of regulating means therefor, a heating chamber containing said regulating means, .mechanism adapted continuously to heat said chamber, and a mixing chamber into which the gases are adapted to pass from the heating chamber,'substantially as set forth.

6. In anesthetizing apparatus, the combination with supplies of oxygen and nitrousoxid under high pressure, of regulating means therefor, a heating chamber contain ing said regulating means, means for continuously supplying heat to said chamber, and a transparent mixing chamber comprising a liquid containing glass receptacle,

' two vertical and vertically perforated tubes respectively connected with the gas supplies positioned therein, and controlling valves respectively associated with sai tubes, substantially as set forth.

7. A pressure reducing connecting head for compressed anesthetic flasks, comprising a plurality of clamping members for said flasks, reducing-valves individually associated therewith, and a common heating device containing said reducing-valves.

S. In anesthetic administering apparatus, the combination with a plurality of gas supplies under pressure, of a liquid-containing chamber having transparent walls, an inlet tube connected. with each of said gas supplies respectively and extending vertically within the chamber below the normal liquid-level; each tube being longitudinally perforated at intervals below said level, an outlet member positioned above said level. and means for heating the gas, substantially as set forth.

9. In anesthetizing apparatus, the combination with means for supplying different gases under pressure, of means for regulating the flow of each gas, a transparent liquid-container, a plurality of tubes extending vertically below the liquid-level thereof, and connected each to each with the separate gas supplies; said tubes being perforated at intervals along their lengths and exposed to view through the transparent walls of the container, substantially as setforth.

, In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES K. TETER. Witnesses:

C. L. 'BENNING, I. V. BECKER. 

